Gangster Anmol Bishnoi, the “main plotter” in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique in Mumbai, has been deported from the US and arrived in India on Wednesday afternoon. Officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Delhi Police were deployed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport ahead of his arrival. Sources said he will be produced in Patiala House Court soon.
Former Enforcement Directorate chief and ex-IPS officer Karnal Singh toldThe Indian Express that deporting a person facing criminal charges in his country is largely a diplomatic exercise that involves bureaucratic and judicial processes. “In all deportation cases, the process remains the same, but Anmol’s deportation may certainly help our agencies bring other criminals or offenders residing abroad back to India in the coming months,” Singh said.
Who is Anmol?
The younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol was one of the gang’s key members operating from abroad. He hails from Fazilka in Punjab. Delhi Police had earlier said that with Lawrence lodged in Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat, Anmol was among those “managing” the gang’s “extortion operations” from abroad. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has a criminal syndicate encompassing Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. With Anmol now in India’s custody, it could make a major dent in the gang’s operations.
Key cases against him
He is involved in 31 cases across Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, including the attack on Siddique and a shooting at the residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan.
Officers said he was also among those who provided logistical support, including arms and ammunition, to the shooters involved in Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s killing in Punjab’s Tarn Taran in 2022.
Besides the Mumbai, Delhi, and Haryana Police, he was also on the NIA’s wanted list, which had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
Anmol has been chargesheeted by the NIA in two cases and by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch in Siddique murder and Salman Khan cases.
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A Red Corner Notice was issued against him on December 6, 2022.
His US stint and deportation
According to officials, Anmol fled to the US by changing his identity — he used the fake name ‘Bhanu Pratap’ and a Faridabad address on his passport — about a month before Moosewala’s killing.
In November 2024, Anmol was arrested by the US immigration authorities for allegedly travelling with fake documents. He was later released after being fitted with an ankle bracelet tracker.
India had requested Anmol’s deportation in January 2024. In March this year, the US Department of State had sought information about cases in which he was directly involved, the technical evidence against him, and financial details.
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Ammol sought asylum from US authorities, but his plea was rejected by a Louisiana court.
Reason for rift between Lawrence and Goldy Brar gangs?
According to agency officials, Anmol is one of the main reasons for the rift between Lawrence and his long-time aide Goldy Brar. A gangster from Punjab, Brar is also operating abroad.
Sources said Lawrence was reportedly upset with Brar and gangster Rohit Godara over their handling of Anmol’s case in the US. Officials said the duo did not assist Anmol in filing the required bail bond.
“This feud and the emergence of their new syndicates have become a growing source of tension for state police forces,” an officer said.
